How The Heck Do You Cook Without Fat?!
Friend has to have an ultrasound and last meal can have no fat. Was thinking a good soup, white beans or lentils or chickpeas, with vegetable broth. But all recipes call for oil or butter to help soften things like onions or garlic.
Are there any fat substitutes that can be used (no, not olean, please)?
Or maybe other ideas / recipes?
Thanks!
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18 Comments:
Steam the veggies in broth.
moibec at 5:59PM on 10/29/08
Omit the oil or butter if she's having that soup. I don't cook with oil or butter 99% of the time (or salt for that matter). I use non-stick pans though...
If onions and garlic have to be in it, there's always taking it out when everything is over. Onions cook down in liquid/soup. There is always grating onions.
Cassaendra at 6:04PM on 10/29/08
I'd just do something simple, like steamed veggies over rice with soy sauce. If you go to a lot of effort to make something flavorful without fat, it's going to be tough, and probably won't come out the way you're hoping. At least with e.g. steamed broccoli you know what you're going to get, rather than trying to do without fat to add body and enhance flavor in your dish. (I do love steamed broccoli, though, so maybe I'm a bit biased.)
producestories at 6:09PM on 10/29/08
Poach something (fish, chicken, etc.). One of my favorites is to poach chicken breasts stuffed with spinach and whatever you like (red peppers, onion, carrot...what-have-you) in chicken broth with some herbs (thyme, marjoram, etc.). Put some new potatoes in the pot with the chicken breasts and you'll have a very hearty dish. Serve it with a bit of the broth and the potatoes, slice the chicken into medallions and top with some fresh parsley and/or herbs. If you use fat-free broth you'll have tons of flavor, no oil or butter and no one will know the difference anyway.
ccbweb at 7:04PM on 10/29/08
I would agree that the easiest thing would be simply make a big batch of steamed vegetables and a complex carb to make it more filling (e.g., baked potato, steamed brown rice, etc.). Add some non-fat yogurt or such for protein, and voila. It is only one meal after all, and if you use really good quality vegetables, it should be a satisfying meal.
Also, some varieties of fish and seafood are virtually fat free. I think cod, for instance, has less than 1 gram of fat per 100g serving. It can be steamed or baked or broiled without added fat.
If you're set on making something *special* like the soup you described, there's no strict *rule* that the aromatics be cooked in fat first. I've simply thrown it all together into the pot with a couple of bay leaves, etc., and cooked it until it's all to the desired doneness (I've seen many old cookbooks calling for this method). It works just fine. You might want to consider pureeing the soup when it's done, and if your friend can take dairy, add a splash of evaporated nonfat milk. It will make it seem much richer, and you can serve it with a chunk of bread and some balsamic vinegar for dipping. I'd probably garnish such a soup with fresh herbs, and increase the salt, to compensate for the absent fat's flavor carrying function.
Nice of you to be concerned with it. Good luck and let us know what you decide.
LoCo at 7:06PM on 10/29/08
not very well . That is my answer:) but why not spray you pan with pam and then carmelize them? I have done that many times at it works as well as a dab of oil.
love2cook at 7:10PM on 10/29/08
Angel food cake with jam.
HeartofGlass at 7:16PM on 10/29/08
I'm going to third steamed veggies, brown/wild rice, and a poached meat if you like. you could add a balsamic glaze to punch up the flavor.
joyyy at 7:56PM on 10/29/08
How about some poached bacon?
SqueezeBottle at 8:15PM on 10/29/08
i make baked plantains in their skin with no oil at all...
you can also make a vegetable soup, by boiling the ingredients in water or broth - onion, garlic, potatoes, celery, carrots, maybe even adding noodles, etc. It'll take longer, but the flavors will be there...
Madelyn
KarmaFreeCooking
MadelynRodriguez at 8:40PM on 10/29/08
heres my version of vegetable soup... sorry I didn't include it before.
MadelynRodriguez at 8:54PM on 10/29/08
Some version of beans and rice would be nice, and you could spice it up with the herbs of your choice. If your friend likes spicy food, some hot peppers will add some punch to it. If not, you could make it milder.
Or make your soup with beans and rice to bulk it up, and use plenty of veggies to make it flavorful. You don't need to saute the veggies first, just toss them in the water as-is. Add lots of herbs.
Depending on how strict the "no fat" rule is, you might need to eliminate meats of all sorts, since there's going to be some fat in there. And you want to be skeptical of bread and packaged or canned goods unless you're absolutely sure there's no fat involved. Packages can say "fat-free" if there's less than a certain amount per serving, but if the serving size is small enough, there can still be detectable fat in there. So, no Pam if the rule is absolute. If you use noodles, make sure they aren't egg noodles, since eggs contain fat.
Since it's only one meal and not a lifestyle, it doesn't really matter if it's a completely balanced meal. Soup might be the best bet, since it's filling and you can control what's in there.
Do a dessert with poached peaches maybe, or cooked apples with sugar and cinnamon.
dbcurrie at 9:03PM on 10/29/08
Put the whole onion in with the beans or lentils and slow cook everything, then take out the whole onion when it's done. It gives a great flavor, no oil, and no chopping! I do this with my baked beans and they're delicious. Just don't try eating the onion after you take it out... it will be a big letdown.
buffy at 9:40PM on 10/29/08
You can sauté vegetables in water in a nonstick skillet, or dry fry them. Herbs and spices boost flavor without fat.
KarynMC at 9:08AM on 10/30/08
Actually, most of my cooking and baking is done with the use of fat and I have found a lot of ways to be creative about it. Stock is fantastic for helping to cook onions and other vegetables before putting them in soup. It also helps in stir-fry meats and vegetables. In fact, one of the main substitutes in fondu for oil is stock. It just takes a little more patience. As for baking, substitute yoghurt, which will help to maintain moisture in everything (and it really works for everything, with the exception of cookies). Or, try applesauce, although I have found less success with that, in terms of flavor and texture. Mashed bananas are another option for baking.
Pam works, but spray a *lot* or food will still stick.
Traveller at 12:02PM on 10/30/08
Wow, these are some great ideas and recipes, thank you! I'd never really thought about cutting out all fat but now think it's time to experiment, good way to cut some calories.
This is a strict no fat rule so Pam or super lean fish not an option. So here's what I did so far (test run out of curiosity before I saw any of your comments): Adapted Hazen's chickpea soup recipe as follows:
- Roasted the garlic in foil and just a bit of water rather than sauteing in EEVO.
- Added the roasted cloves to the canned roma tomatoes rather than remove the garlic from the oil before cooking the tomatoes.
- Substituted vegetable for beef broth. The label said "fat free" and 0% fat... hopefully, that is true.
Also steamed acorn squash halves and then finished with brown sugar mix under the broiler. Usually add maple syrup, too, but no nutritional information on the bottle so I didn't take the chance.
Both of these were great (though not together).
Tonight's the night so I'll adapt per some of the suggestions above.
Would love other ideas, too, this is great, really fun to try new things.
OliverRanch at 12:15PM on 10/30/08
Pureed prunes are a good substitute for oil in baking also, and they make for an unspeakably moist and rich chocolate cake!
buffy at 7:43PM on 10/30/08
IMHO, I would keep it light. Whenever I'm facing some type of medical procedure, I'm normally a little stressed (and scared). A heavy meal would grind away in my stomach all night. Hope the test went well.
Josdean at 9:55PM on 11/01/08